Improvement in copying-presses



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

HARRIS J. BALDWIN, OF NORTH HUDSON, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN COPYING-P'RESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 2l6,995, dated July 1, 1879; application filed February 3, 1879.

To all whom t't may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRIS J. BALDWIN, of North Hudson, in the county of St. Groix and State of Wisconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Copying-Presses; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speci-.

fication.

This invention relates to an improvement in the construction of copying-presses for taking impressions of letters and other writings; and its object is to provide a copyingpress of simple and inexpensive construction, which, for ordinary use, will efiect the desired result as quickly and efficiently as any of the costly presses ordinarily used, and which can be easily managed, and will not be liable to get out of order.

The invention consists, first, in the combi nation, with the upper and lower plates, of two levers pivoted to standards at each end of the press and swinging in opposite directions, each of the said levers being provided on its under side, near its fulcrum. with a.

projection which bears against the upper surface of the upper plate; also, in the combination, with the upper plate and the levers constructed as above mentioned, of novel devices, hereinafter deseribed, for raising the upper plate from the bed-plate when the ends of the levers are raised; and, also, in the combination, with the upper and lower plates and the levers constructed and arranged as above mentioned, of uprights with ratchetteeth for holding down the levers while the pressure is being applied for taking the impression, all of which is hereinafter particularly set forth and described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan View of my improved copying-press; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the upper plate, showing a modification of my improvement. Fig. 4 is a view of a part of the press, showing a modification in the arrangement of the notched standards and the lugs 0.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts wherever they occur.

A represents the lower plate or bed-plate, which may be of wood. B is the upper plate, which may be either of wood or metal, but preferably of metal. 0 (J are two levers, by means of which the pressure is applied, and

the upper surface of the plate B, for

which are pivoted at one of their ends to standards D D at each end of the lower plate. These levers swing in opposite directions, and each of them is provided on its under side with a projection, m, which bears against applyin g the pressure to the latter.

At that part of the levers on which the projections m are located are provided pins or short arms a a, which extend horizontally at right angles to the line of the levers and pass under lugs 0 0, secured to or formed upon the upper plate, B, by means of which the latter is raised when the ends p p of the levers are raised; or, as a modification of this construction, links attached to the levers and the plate B may be employed for the same purpose.

.In Fig. 2 the levers and upper plate are shown partially raised. E E are two uprights attached at each end of the press, and provided with ratchet-teeth on their inner surfaces, for holding the levers at the time the pressure is being applied and while the impression is being taken, each of the levers being provided with a small shoulder, (not shown in the drawings,) which fits into the said teeth.

If preferred, the uprights E E may be secured at the center or at the ends of the upper plate, as shown in Fig. 3.

The operation is as follows: When the papers have been prepared and arranged in the usual manner, the ends of the levers are raised and the papers inserted between the plates. The ends pp of the levers are then depressed, and when the desired degree of pressure has been attained the levers are placed under the ratchet-teeth on the uprights E E, whereby they are held until the impression has been taken.

What I claim as my invention is- The bed A, with standards D at its opposite ends, the levers G, pivoted to said standards, and provided with hearing projections m and arms a, and toothed uprights E, in combination with platen B, provided with lugs 0, which are engaged by pins or arms a, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

HARRIS BALDWIN. 

